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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395629" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Canterbury Tales; The Phisiciens Tale</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Heere folweth the Phisiciens tale.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ther was, as telleth Titus Livius,<br>A knyght that called was Virginius,<br>Fulfild of honour and of worthynesse,<br>And strong of freendes, and of greet richesse.<br>This knyght a doghter hadde by his wyf,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">No children hadde he mo in al his lyf.<br>Fair was this mayde in excellent beautee<br>Aboven every wight that man may see.<br>For Nature hath with sovereyn diligence<br>Yformed hir in so greet excellence,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As though she wolde seyn, 'Lo, I, Nature,<br>Thus kan I forme and peynte a creature<br>Whan that me list; who kan me countrefete?<br>Pigmalion noght, though he ay forge and bete,<br>Or grave, or peynte, for I dar wel seyn</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Apelles, Zanzis sholde werche in veyn<br>Outher to grave or peynte, or forge, or bete,<br>If they presumed me to countrefete.<br>For He that is the former principal<br>Hath maked me his vicaire general</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To forme and peynten erthely creaturis<br>Right as me list, and ech thyng in my cure is<br>Under the Moone, that may wane and waxe,<br>And for my werk right nothyng wol I axe.<br>My lord and I been ful of oon accord;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I made hir to the worship of my lord,<br>So do I alle myne othere creatures,<br>What colour that they han, or what figures.'<br>Thus semeth me that Nature wolde seye.<br>This mayde of age twelf yeer was and tweye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Is which that Nature hadde swich delit.<br>For right as she kan peynte a lilie whit,<br>And reed a rose, right with swich peynture<br>She peynted hath this noble creature,<br>Er she were born, upon hir lymes fre,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Where as by right swiche colours sholde be.<br>And Phebus dyed hath hir treses grete,<br>Lyk to the stremes of his burned heete;<br>And if that excellent was hir beautee,<br>A thousand foold moore vertuous was she.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In hire ne lakked no condicioun<br>That is to preyse, as by discrecioun;<br>As wel in goost as body chast was she,<br>For which she floured in virginitee<br>With alle humylitee and abstinence,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With alle attemperaunce and pacience,<br>With mesure eek of beryng and array.<br>Discreet she was in answeryng alway,<br>Though she were wise Pallas, dar I seyn,<br>Hir facound eek ful wommanly and pleyn,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">No countrefeted termes hadde she<br>To seme wys, but after hir degree<br>She spak, and alle hir wordes, moore and lesse,<br>Sownynge in vertu and in gentillesse.<br>Shamefast she was in maydens shamefastnesse,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Constant in herte, and evere in bisynesse<br>To dryve hir out of ydel slogardye.<br>Bacus hadde of hire mouth right no maistrie;<br>For wyn and youthe dooth Venus encresse,<br>As man in fyr wol casten oille or greesse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And of hir owene vertu unconstreyned,<br>She hath ful ofte tyme syk hir feyned,<br>For that she wolde fleen the compaignye<br>Wher likly was to treten of folye,<br>As is at feestes, revels, and at daunces</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That been occasions of daliaunces.<br>Swich thynges maken children for to be<br>To soone rype and boold, as men may se,<br>Which is ful perilous, and hath been yoore;<br>For al to soone may they lerne loore</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of booldnesse, whan she woxen is a wyf.<br>And ye maistresses, in youre olde lyf,<br>That lordes doghtres han in governaunce,<br>Ne taketh of my wordes no displesaunce;<br>Thenketh that ye been set in governynges</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of lordes doghtres, oonly for two thynges;<br>Outher for ye han kept youre honestee,<br>Or elles ye han falle in freletee,<br>And knowen wel ynough the olde daunce,<br>And han forsaken fully swich meschaunce</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For everemo; therfore for Cristes sake,<br>To teche hem vertu looke that ye ne slake.<br>A theef of venysoun, that hath forlaft<br>His likerousnesse, and al his olde craft,<br>Kan kepe a forest best of any man.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now kepeth wel, for if ye wole, ye kan.<br>Looke wel that ye unto no vice assente,<br>Lest ye be dampned for your wikke entente.<br>For who so dooth, a traitour is, certeyn;<br>And taketh kepe of that that I shal seyn,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of alle tresons, sovereyn pestilence<br>Is whan a wight bitrayseth innocence.<br>Ye fadres and ye moodres, eek also,<br>Though ye han children, be it oon or two,<br>Youre is the charge of al hir surveiaunce</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whil that they been under youre governaunce.<br>Beth war, if by ensample of youre lyvynge,<br>Or by youre necligence in chastisynge,<br>That they perisse, for I dar wel seye,<br>If that they doon ye shul it deere abeye;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Under a shepherde softe and necligent<br>The wolf hath many a sheep and lamb to-rent.<br>Suffyseth oon ensample now as here,<br>For I moot turne agayn to my mateere.<br>This mayde, of which I wol this tale expresse,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So kepte hirself, hir neded no maistresse.<br>For in hir lyvyng maydens myghten rede,<br>As in a book, every good word or dede<br>That longeth to a mayden vertuous,<br>She was so prudent and so bountevous.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For which the fame out-sprong on every syde<br>Bothe of hir beautee and hir bountee wyde,<br>That thurgh that land they preised hire echone<br>That loved vertu; save encye allone,<br>That sory is of oother mennes wele,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And glad is of his sorwe and his unheele-<br>The doctour maketh this descripcioun.<br>This mayde upon a day wente in the toun<br>Toward a temple, with hir mooder deere,<br>As is of yonge maydens the namere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now was ther thanne a justice in that toun,<br>That governour was of that regioun,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And so bifel this juge hise eyen caste<br>Upon this mayde, avysynge hym ful faste<br>As she cam forby, ther as this juge stood.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Anon his herte chaunged and his mood,<br>So was he caught with beautee of this mayde,<br>And to hymself ful pryvely he sayde,<br>'This mayde shal be myn, for any man.'<br>Anon the feend into his herte ran,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And taughte hym sodeynly, that he by slyghte<br>The mayden to his purpos wynne myghte.<br>For certes, by no force, ne by no meede,<br>Hym thoughte he was nat able for to speede;<br>For she was strong of freends, and eek she</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Confermed was in swich soverayn bountee,<br>That wel he wiste he myghte hir nevere wynne,<br>As for to maken hir with hir body synne.<br>For which, by greet deliberacioun,<br>He sente after a cherl, was in the toun,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Which that he knew for subtil and for boold.<br>This Juge unto this cherl his tale hath toold<br>In secree wise, and made hym to ensure<br>He sholde telle it to no creature,<br>And if he dide, he sholde lese his heed.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whan that assented was this cursed reed,<br>Glad was this juge, and maked him greet cheere,<br>And yaf hym yiftes preciouse and deere.<br>Whan shapen was al hir conspiracie<br>Fro point to point, how that his lecherie</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Parfourned sholde been ful subtilly,<br>(As ye shul heere it after openly)<br>Hoom gooth the cherl, that highte Claudius.<br>This false juge, that highte Apius,<br>So was his name-for this is no fable,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But knowen for historial thyng notable;<br>The sentence of it sooth is out of doute-<br>This false juge gooth now faste aboute<br>To hasten his delit al that he may.<br>And so bifel soone after on a day,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This false juge, as telleth us the storie,<br>As he was wont, sat in his consistorie,<br>And yaf his doomes upon sondry cas.<br>This false cherl cam forth a ful greet pas<br>And seyde, 'Lord, if that it be youre wille,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As dooth me right upon this pitous bille<br>In which I pleyne upon Virginius;<br>And if that he wol seyn it is nat thus,<br>I wol it preeve, and fynde good witnesse<br>That sooth is, that my bille wol expresse.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The juge answerde, 'Of this in his absence,<br>I may nat yeve diffynytyve sentence.<br>Lat do hym calle, and I wol gladly heere.<br>Thou shalt have al right and no wrong heere.'<br>Virginius cam to wite the juges wille,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And right anon was rad this cursed bille.<br>The sentence of it was, as ye shul heere:<br>'To yow, my lord, Sire Apius so deere,<br>Sheweth youre povre servant Claudius,<br>How that a knyght called Virginius</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Agayns the lawe, agayn al equitee,<br>Holdeth expres agayn the wyl of me<br>My servant, which that is my thral by right,<br>Which fro myn hous was stole upon a nyght,<br>Whil that she was ful yong; this wol I preeve</div><div style="margin:10px 0">By witnesse, lord, so that it nat yow greeve.<br>She nys his doghter, nat what so he seye.<br>Wherfore to yow, my lord the Juge, I preye<br>Yeld me my thral, if that it be youre wille.'<br>Lo, this was al the sentence of his bille.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Virginius gan upon the cherl biholde,<br>But hastily, er he his tale tolde,<br>And wolde have preeved it as sholde a knyght,<br>And eek by witnessyng of many a wight,<br>That it was fals, that seyde his adversarie,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This cursed juge wolde no thyng tarie,<br>Ne heere a word moore of Virginius,<br>But yaf his juggement and seyde thus:<br>'I deeme anon this cherl his servant have,<br>Thou shalt no lenger in thyn hous hir save.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Go, bryng hir forth, and put hir in our warde.<br>The cherl shal have his thral, this I awarde.'<br>And whan this worthy knyght Virginius,<br>Thurgh sentence of this justice Apius,<br>Moste by force his deere doghter yeven</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Unto the juge in lecherie to lyven,<br>He gooth hym hoom, and sette him in his halle,<br>And leet anon his deere doghter calle,<br>And with a face deed as asshen colde,<br>Upon hir humble face he gan biholde</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With fadres pitee stikynge thurgh his herte,<br>Al wolde he from his purpos nat converte.<br>'Doghter,' quod he, 'Virginia, by thy name,<br>Ther been two weyes, outher deeth or shame<br>That thou most suffre, allas, that I was bore!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For nevere thou deservedest wherfore<br>To dyen with a swerd, or with a knyf.<br>O deere doghter, ender of my lyf,<br>Which I have fostred up with swich plesaunce,<br>That thou were nevere out of my remembraunce.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">O doghter, which that art my laste wo,<br>And in my lyf my laste joye also,<br>O gemme of chastitee, in pacience<br>Take thou thy deeth, for this is my sentence,<br>For love and nat for hate, thou most be deed;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">My pitous hand moot smyten of thyn heed.<br>Allas, that evere Apius the say!<br>Thus hath he falsly jugged the to day.'<br>And tolde hir al the cas, as ye bifore<br>Han herd, nat nedeth for to telle it moore.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'O mercy, deere fader,' quod this mayde,<br>And with that word she bothe hir armes layde<br>About his nekke, as she was wont to do.<br>The teeris bruste out of hir eyen two,<br>And seyde, 'Goode fader, shal I dye?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Is ther no grace? is ther no remedye?'<br>'No certes, deere doghter myn,' quod he.<br>'Thanne yif me leyser, fader myn,' quod she,<br>'My deeth for to compleyne a litel space,<br>For, pardee, Jepte yaf his doghter grace</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For to compleyne, er he hir slow, allas!<br>And God it woot, no thyng was hir trespas<br>But for she ran hir fader for to see<br>To welcome hym with greet solempnitee.'<br>And with that word she fil aswowne anon;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And after whan hir swownyng is agon<br>She riseth up and to hir fader sayde,<br>'Blissed be God that I shal dye a mayde;<br>Yif me my deeth, er that I have a shame.<br>Dooth with youre child youre wyl, a Goddes name.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And with that word she preyed hym ful ofte<br>That with his swerd he wolde smyte softe,<br>And with that word aswowne doun she fil.<br>Hir fader with ful sorweful herte and wil<br>Hir heed of smoot, and by the top it hente,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And to the juge he gan it to presente<br>As he sat yet in doom, in consistorie.<br>And whan the juge it saugh, as seith the storie,<br>He bad to take hym and anhange hym faste.<br>But right anon a thousand peple in thraste</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To save the knyght for routhe and for pitee;<br>For knowen was the false iniquitee.<br>The peple anon hath suspect of this thyng,<br>By manere of the cherles chalangyng,<br>That it was by the assent of Apius-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">They wisten wel that he was lecherus;<br>For which unto this Apius they gon<br>And caste hym in a prisoun right anon,<br>Ther as he slow hymself, and Claudius<br>That servant was unto this Apius,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Was demed for to hange upon a tree,<br>But that Virginius, of his pitee,<br>So preyde for hym, that he was exiled;<br>And elles, certes, he had been bigyled.<br>The remenant were anhanged, moore and lesse,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That were consentant of this cursednesse.<br>Heere men may seen, how synne hath his merite.<br>Beth war, for no man woot whom God wol smyte<br>In no degree, ne in which manere wyse<br>The worm of conscience may agryse</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of wikked lyf, though it so pryvee be<br>That no man woot therof but God and he.<br>For be he lewed man, or ellis lered,<br>He noot how soone that he shal been afered.<br>Therfore I rede yow this conseil take,<br>Forsaketh synne, er synne yow forsake.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Heere endeth the Phisiciens tale.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Geoffrey+Chaucer">Geoffrey Chaucer</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395629" data-title="The Canterbury Tales; The Phisiciens Tale de Geoffrey Chaucer" data-description="Heere folweth the Phisiciens tale./Ther was, as telleth Titus Livius,/A knyght that called was Virginius,/Fulfild of honour and of worthynesse,/And strong of freendes, and of greet richesse./This knyght a doghter hadde by his wyf,/No children hadd..."></div>
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